Dear SuSANA Members 
Greetings to All.

In All Cities and Villages, we have inadequacy of Toilet facilities for Women.
In the Best interest of Communities, it's needed to provide apt toilet and RestRoom facilities for Women in communities. 
We have Schools, Colleges and other Educational Institutions, All these locations need provide easy accessible provision for women in communities. 
Govt of India needs to issue Institutions to various Authorities to make available these facilities to needy Women at all times.

With Best wishes to All Members 

Female-Friendly Public and Community Toilets: A Guide for Planners and Decision-Makers

This publication presents a practical framework for designing, building, and managing female-friendly public and community toilets—ensuring that sanitation facilities respond to the real needs of women and girls in urban settings.

About the study:
The study was jointly developed by WaterAid, WSUP (Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor), and UNICEF to provide actionable guidance for planners, engineers, architects, and municipal decision-makers. It combines field research, design recommendations, and policy insights to make sanitation infrastructure more inclusive and safe for all users, especially women, adolescent girls, and people with disabilities.

UMC’s contribution:
The Urban Management Centre (UMC) contributed to the study as a technical partner, supporting field-level assessments, contextualising design standards for Indian cities, and facilitating knowledge dissemination through its practitioner networks and capacity-building programmes. UMC has also hosted the publication on its knowledge portal to promote accessibility and adoption by urban local bodies.

What it covers:
• Key principles and design checklists for inclusive toilet infrastructure
• Governance models and O&M frameworks for sustainability
• Safety, accessibility, and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) considerations
• Case examples from India and other developing contexts
• Tools for integrating gender-responsive design into municipal planning

Why it matters:
Access to safe, private, and well-maintained sanitation facilities is a basic right. This guide enables governments and practitioners to mainstream gender-sensitive sanitation design into urban development policies—advancing SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

📘 Download the full publication here
📅 Published: 2018
Authored by: WaterAid, WSUP, and UNICEF
Technical Partner: Urban Management Centre (UMC)

SuSanA members are invited to share examples of female-friendly sanitation designs, inclusive policies, and implementation experiences from their own contexts.

— *Meghna Malhotra*
Deputy Director, Urban Management Centre (UMC), India